A Twist of Fate
by xxjmm96xx
Summary: When Andy hears the unsettling news about Marlo's pregnancy, she begins to question everything. Is this something that she and Sam will be able to overcome? Meanwhile, crime strikes, trapping Marlo in the middle of it and Andy might be the only one who can save her.
1. Trouble In Paradise

Dov was about to explode. " _What am I supposed to do?"_ he wondered incredulously to himself.

He had barely moved since he picked up the ultrasound picture from where it had fallen out of Marlo's folder. Her look of shock left him with no doubt that it was hers. He still couldn't believe it.

He had immediately asked her who the father was, though, intuitively he knew it had to be Sam's. She had sheepishly admitted it to him, knowing there was no way out of the situation now. However, when Dov then asked her when she was planning on telling Sam, she inhaled sharply.

She went on to explain how she didn't want to mess up Sam's life anymore. Dov had argued that he deserved to know. They went back and forth for a while before Marlo departed in a rush, begging Dov once more not to say anything. Dov knew that Marlo was planning on going back to her division tonight.

Dov had never been good at keeping secrets and hell, this one was a doozy. He had no idea what he should do.

He swung around in his chair a couple of times before getting up and pacing around the room, still littered with photos from the latest case they had been working on.

He knew in his heart that Sam had a right to know about this child. Sam was a good guy and would step up. He understood where Marlo was coming from, but he still remembered how hurt Chris had been when he learned that he thought he had a son that he had known nothing about.

Dov glanced up at the clock. Surprisingly, not that much time had passed since Marlo had left him there. His eyes zeroed in on his cell phone resting on the desk.

He braced himself, taking a deep breath and reaching across the desk to pick up his phone. After finding the number he was looking for he made a call, hoping that one day, everyone might be able to forgive him for what he was about to unleash.

* * *

"Sam, where are you going?" Andy tried to sit up in the bed, but her whole body was aching thanks to the evidence room being blown to bits with her in it.

She was so confused. One minute, she and Sam had been lying in bed, kissing and cuddling. The next, after a very cryptic and rushed phone call, Sam had jumped out of bed, getting dressed in seconds.

"Don't try to sit up," he scolded her, taking a minute to make sure that she was comfortable in bed once more. His face was very pale and he was acting very strange. Andy narrowed her eyes at him.

"Stay here. I'll be back soon," he promised and with a light kiss to her forehead, he was gone.

Andy heard the front door to his apartment slam shut and then silence, save for the soft pattering of the rain on the windows. She was completely shocked that he had just left her like that. It was that suspicious phone call. Something was wrong. Sam should have known her better than to simply sit around after the fact that he left with no explanation.

Despite the enormous pains that rocked her body, Andy threw on her leather jacket over her dark sports bra and grabbed the keys to her car on her way out the door, thankful that she had insisted on driving herself over.

She stayed hidden as she watched Sam's truck disappear around the corner and then hopped in her own vehicle, prepared to follow him. She would find out what was going on, one way or another.

* * *

Marlo was still in the locker room, not sure what her next move was going to be.

Oh, no. She still wasn't going to tell Sam; she was set on that decision. Though, she had to admit that some of the things that Dov had said to her in that room really got her thinking. However, she did not want to be the one to mess up Sam's life again. He looked so happy with Andy and she wasn't going to take that away from them. He didn't need this kind of baggage.

Granted, she knew that she was not to blame. Andy and Sam were not together at the time. She and Sam had been two consenting adults and so she didn't have to feel guilty on that account. Still, she wondered how she could be so stupid for not using protection when she and Sam had sex. Especially since she couldn't be on birth control at the time because of all the switches in her medications to treat her bipolar disorder. All it took was one time, in the heat of the moment and that was it.

However, Marlo was fairly certain that she could handle taking care of her baby on her own. She was strong and although she didn't think she had a maternal bone in her body, she knew she could do this.

It was unsettling to her, though, that Dov knew. She had been hoping that she would be able to come to 15, solve this case, and then go back from where she came without anyone being the wiser. She had been so _stupid_ for keeping that ultrasound with her but... she couldn't deny the little bubble of happiness that she had every time she saw the grainy picture. And there was also a little part of her that might have wanted to tell Sam, but she had effectively pushed that thought out of her head once she had seen how perfect Sam's life had become once she was no longer in it.

Marlo knew that once one person knew that news of her pregnancy with none other than Sam Swarek's baby would spread like wildfire. She didn't even blame Dov. It was clear that he thought she should tell Sam but she just couldn't do it. She simply wanted to escape back to her district before anyone else found out.

Finally, Marlo picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Before she made it out the door, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Though the locker room had poor lighting, she looked radiant - almost glowing. She turned to the side, her baby bump slight and not yet noticeable. She had a journey ahead of her, but she already had such love for this baby that was only roughly the size of an apple.

Sighing, she pushed open the locker room door and made her way toward the back of the precinct so she could get her car and get out of this hell hole.

Thankfully, as she passed the room that she and Dov had been working in, she saw that it was empty, the sensor lights clicking off as she left the room behind. She was glad that Dov had already left; she didn't think she could handle seeing him again. If she heard all of his reasons for telling Sam that he was the father one more time, she might finally cave.

As she made her way to her car at the end of the parking lot, rain pelted her exposed skin. It felt refreshing, like she was finally getting a new start and leaving 15 division and all of its cops behind once and for all.

She had just placed her hand on her car door handle when an all too familiar truck came bombing its way into the parking lot, blocking her exit. _Crap._

Sam flew out of the car, not caring enough to shut the door behind him or even taking the time to shut it off.

Though Sam had been in such a rush to get to 15 division after he had gotten off the phone with Dov, all of a sudden, now that he was here, he froze, halfway between her and the truck. The rain had started coming down harder and began to drip down his stoic face.

Marlo didn't know what to say either. She stood there, equally as still, waiting for his reaction. He must already know, or else he wouldn't even be here. _Thank you, Dov._

"Is it true?" Sam's voice reached her, muted against the rain. His chest was heaving.

Marlo looked at the ground, which was probably all the answer Sam needed. She had a sudden burst of confidence though and now that the cat was out of the bag, there was no turning back. She looked up and met his eyes. In a calm, clear voice she said, "Yes, Sam. I am pregnant. And you are the father." Finally saying it out loud made it real and she gasped to herself.

" _What_?"

Sam whipped around and Marlo craned her neck to see Andy, leaning against the side of Sam's truck for support.

Marlo turned her face away. Andy's fallen and crushed face was clear, despite the sheets of rain that separated them.

"You're pregnant with Sam's _baby?_ " Andy's voice cracked. Her heart was shattering once again; the pain she was experiencing right now made the pain from being in the explosion ebb away.

"Andy, please…" Sam started in a pleading voice, but Andy cut him off with a sharp shake of her head. Sam could tell she was struggling to hold it together, but, despite the rain, he could tell she was beginning to cry.

Without saying another word, Andy straightened her spine, held her head up high and ran to her car, ignoring her body screaming in protest. Once in her car, her wet hair plastered to her cheeks and sobs finally making their way out of her body, she peeled out, barely able to see through her tears.

"Andy!" Sam's anguished cry chilled Marlo to the core, much more than the rain was. Sam struggled internally for a second, not wanting to abandon the mother of his child, but also wanting to salvage his relationship with the woman he loved. Finally, he turned, starting to dart back towards his truck.

"Sam, wait!" Marlo cried, jogging to catch up with him. She wasn't mad that he was choosing to go after Andy, leaving her there standing in the rain. She understood and she didn't blame him at all. They could talk about this some other time, but between what had happened earlier today and this shocking news, Andy should not be out on her own right now.

Thankfully, Sam spared a minute and paused to turn toward her. She reached in her bag, pulling out the folder that had started this shit-show rolling and handed Sam something. Swiftly, she turned and made her way back to her car, enclosing herself in its warmth and silence.

Sam jumped in his truck, preparing to go back to Andy. He slammed his door behind him, not caring that he had left it open and now the entire driver's side of his car on the inside was soaked. However, before he put threw his car into reverse, he glanced at the slip of paper that Marlo had handed him.

It was the ultrasound of her...his _…their_ baby. He was momentarily awestruck at the tiny outline of the person that he had helped create. He peered through his windshield at Marlo, who was already in her car. She gave him a slight nod and it snapped Sam out of his reverie.

With care, he lifted the flap of the visor on his ceiling and placed the ultrasound picture up there, pressing it closed and keeping it safe. Then, he sped off, hoping that he wasn't too late to repair things with Andy.

* * *

Marlo watched as Sam flew off to go find Andy, but not before she watched him look intently at the ultrasound that she had given him and placed it delicately under his visor. She wished him the best of luck and hoped that she hadn't just torn them apart when they were finally happy. She had to admit that she did feel slightly better now that Sam knew. It was a huge weight off of her shoulders to share it with the other person who was in this situation with her.

But now, she just wanted to go home and get some rest.

She was about to back out of her parking space when her phone rang shrilly, making her jump. Glancing at the caller ID, she picked it up. "Cruz."

She listened intently and then hung up the phone with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that had nothing to do with morning sickness. She thumped her head on her head-rest and her eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.

Her boss had just called to tell her that she would need to stay at 15 Division for the time being.

Looks like Marlo wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

 **I am so happy to be writing again and am impatiently awaiting the start of season 6! I don't know how the writers are going to portray Marlo being pregnant, but I wanted to try writing a story focused on this story line and see how it goes. I don't like when Sam and Andy's relationship is in trouble, but I hope it will all work out. Anyway, I hope you liked what I have written so far and I will be updating soon! Let me know what you think :)**


	2. Silent Treatment

Sam showed up to work with a coffee in hand, but it wasn't doing him any good.

He had scoured the city, looking for Andy. He went to all of her favorite spots, including the park where she would shoot some hoops after a hard day at work. He even drove by Traci's to see if that is where she had gone to hide out, but to no avail. He checked her apartment multiple times, but her nor her car were anywhere to be found.

After calling and texting her cell phone until he was sure her voicemail and inbox were full, Sam finally had to call it quits and just hope she was safe. Though it pained him to do so, he knew that once Andy didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be.

Still, he hadn't called it quits until early in the morning. And once he had made his way back to his now far-too-empty apartment, he found he couldn't sleep anyway. Thoughts of Andy and Marlo and his baby circled his head while he lay staring at the ceiling to the point where he had to get up before his head exploded. Pacing around his dark house, head in his hands, he wondered how his life had ended up so complicated.

The only thing that motivated him to come to work that morning was the fact that he would see Andy. Even though he dreaded mixing his personal life with his professional life, he knew that, at this point, the only way he would get even close to Andy was if he cornered her at work. He not only wanted to apologize to her profusely and fix his relationship, but she was the only one he wanted to share his fears about becoming a father with. Andy was the only one he ever wanted to share his feelings with, and that really said something about what she meant to him. Why couldn't she just see that?

However, it wasn't Andy he bumped into, nearly spilling his coffee on as he turned a corner. It was… Marlo?

"What are you doing here?" Sam was one hundred percent sure that his words came out much harsher than intended by the look on Marlo's face.

"Good morning to you, too," she snapped back. He noticed that she looked equally as unpleasant at the fact that she was still at 15 Division as he was. Not that he held any animosity towards Marlo; it just wouldn't make things any easier with Andy.

"I am here because my boss called me last night after...everything...happened," Marlo stumbled over addressing what actually went on last night and continued. "He wants me to stay at 15 for a while."

Her hand fluttered, unconsciously to her stomach. Sam noticed, of course.

"How...um, how are you feeling?" He was acting awkward and he knew it. But he had no idea what to do in a situation like this.

Despite his vague and weird delivery, Marlo knew that he was asking about the baby and she knew he cared and that made her soften. She smiled at him. Still, her eyes darted nervously around the precinct and she nodded her head to an officer that walked by and said hello. She waited until he had passed by before saying, "The baby is fine. Thank you for asking." Sam smiled back at her, appreciatively.

It was then that Andy turned the corner, looking good for someone who had spent her night (and well into the morning) crying on Oliver's couch. Thank god for makeup. She smiled and waved at her friends as she passed, all of them heading for parade.

As soon as she caught sight of Marlo and Sam together, her eyes grew dark and narrowed. Her step faltered.

She scoffed in disbelief, crushed and pissed off at the same time. She pushed past them without saying a word and headed into the parade room.

Marlo's heart hurt at the expression on Sam's face as he watched Andy walk away. She wished there was something she could do to help.

* * *

Andy was extremely early to parade now that she had to duck into the room to avoid further confrontation with Sam and Marlo. She couldn't deal with this now; it was still fresh, still too much. She just wanted to work her shift in as much peace as a police officer in Toronto could.

Unfortunately, now that she was awaiting Oliver's presence to get the day started, her thoughts started wandering to the events of the past few hours.

As soon as she had driven away from 15 Division, leaving Sam and Marlo to eat her dust, she realized she wasn't sure where to go. Distraught and in an enormous amount of pain, she was still thinking clear enough to know that Sam would come looking for her once he finished doing whatever with Marlo. He knew about all of her favorite spots and would certainly come looking for her at both her house and Traci's.

Andy drove around aimlessly for a while. Suddenly, she gasped, brushing tears out of her eyes as she finally decided where she wanted to go. But it was late and she knew she should call first.

As soon as Oliver heard her over the phone, he insisted she come over. _His door was always open_ , he had said to her. Andy wondered why she hadn't thought of Oliver sooner. He had always been the true father figure that she never had and always gave the best advice. And when he didn't know what to say, he would still sit with you and try and make you feel better.

So, to Oliver's she had gone. The rest of the house had been quiet when she entered. Oliver had already had a cup of warm tea and a blanket already waiting for her. They sat on the couch together, his arm around her shoulder as Andy told him in a numb voice what had previously transpired.

Oliver had tried to hide his shock at the news that Sam, one of his closest friend's, was going to have a baby with someone who wasn't Andy. He had to focus on the situation at hand, and that was making sure Andy was okay tonight.

After some fatherly advice and some goofy impressions that had Andy laughing, Oliver finally left Andy alone to sleep with the promise of his famous waffles in the morning.

Once Andy was alone in the dark once more, she had stared at the ceiling of Oliver's house and wondered how her life had gone from perfect to messed up in zero seconds flat. She had fallen asleep with tears flowing down her cheeks.

And now, she was in work. Something that used to give her solace and now was just another place that she would inevitably run into Sam and have to address this problem.

It was strange. Usually, Andy was the one who insisted that they talk about their feelings. Now, the tables have turned. Andy wanted nothing more than to put her head down and run full force away from this problem. Unfortunately, it was much too big of a problem to simply run away from.

Sighing, Andy leaned her chin on her hand, elbow resting on the desk in front of her. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Sam came in the room. It looked like he was going to attempt to sit down next to her, but thankfully Nick came in and plopped down beside her. Dejected, Sam resigned himself to leaning against the back wall.

"Weird how Marlo is sticking around for a while, huh?" Nick said, by way of greeting.

"Very weird," Andy replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

She ignored Nick's curious gaze as Oliver came into the room, discussing what was going to be happening that day.

She was just going to focus on her shift. She could do this; she just had to take it one day at a time.

* * *

Andy glared sullenly across the Black Penny at Sam. He was sitting alone at the bar - Marlo nowhere in sight - but that did not prompt Andy to get up and go talk to him. Instead, she was content with sitting and getting drunk with her friends after an unusually calm shift at the desk at work because she was still aching from the explosion.

But that didn't mean she had to stop glaring at Sam's back.

"Hey McNally, lighten up," Gail said, already slightly tipsy. Since Holly had left, Gail had become somewhat unhinged. She drank a lot more than usually at the Penny, but she was doing okay. She had her friends to look out for her.

Gail followed Andy's gaze. "Uh oh, what did the infamous Sam Swarek do this time?"

"It's nothing Gail, just drop it," Andy said shortly, downing the rest of her beer. Ignoring Gail's pissed off face, Andy called out, "Anyone need a refill? My treat!"

At the resounding cheer from her friends, Andy hopped off her stool and went to the bar, far away from Sam. "Hey, Scott. Can I have 5 more beers?" The bartender eyed her suspiciously. "Oh, come on, they are for my friends, too!" Scott laughed and went to fetch the bottles.

Before he returned, Oliver popped up beside her. "How are you holding up?" he asked in a low voice.

"Not that great," she replied in a fake cheery voice. She shot him an equally fake smile. Oliver gave her a look of pity. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I'll be fine," she insisted, even though she didn't necessarily believe it.

Scott returned with her bottles and she thanked him, struggling to balance them all to get them back to the table. "Thanks though, Oliver," she said and turned to walk away.

"McNally, wait," Oliver said, catching her arm before she even took a step.

"Geez, Oliver, you almost made me drop these," she said, nodding at the bottles in her hand.

"Look, I care about you Andy," Oliver said. He wasn't good at this expressing emotions and such, but he was doing his best. "I think you need to just take a break. Come to terms with all of this and then you can decide what you want to do."

Andy slowly nodded at him. "That's a little hard to do because we live so close to each other and we work together."

"I know, I know. That's why I want you to take a week off of work."

"What? Oliver, that's crazy," Andy said, laughing him off.

"No, I'm serious. I want you to take a week off. You can use my cabin; get out of town for a while and let things settle down. It's the end of the summer and it's really nice up there." Andy just stared at him. "C'mon McNally, I don't offer my cabin to just anyone," he smirked.

Andy lost herself in thought. It sounded so enticing, but a week off of work? Well, after everything she had just gone through, if she ever deserved a break, it was now. But she would also be running away from her problems. She _never_ solved her problems by running away from them and she even encouraged people not to run away from their problems, but… maybe just this once. Just until she figured out what she really wanted out of this situation. And when she came back, then she could sit down with Sam and finally talk things out.

"Oliver, that sounds wonderful," Andy said, exhaling gratefully.

"I have great ideas every once and a while," he said, while rooting through his pockets. He pulled out a ring of keys, rifling through the many he had on there before detaching one and handing it to Andy. "That's the key for the cabin. I will text you the address."

He saw the look in her eyes and knew that if she weren't holding so many beer bottles, she would have given him a crushing hug. "Alright, alright, no need to get all sentimental," he joked. "Get home safe," he said, beginning to turn away, "and I will _not_ see you tomorrow!"

Andy laughed. "See you next week, Oliver." She finally turned and made her way back to the table where her friends chided her about taking so long, but they were all in relatively good spirits.

The rest of the night consisted of stories and jokes and it was all pretty merry. Andy was almost able to forget about the shambles her life was currently in.

She really had the most amazing friends.

* * *

Sam inconspicuously watched the encounter between Oliver and Andy. His longtime friend and coworker and his...girlfriend? Ex-girlfriend? Who knew at this point? He couldn't even get her to stick around long enough in his presence to even think about starting a conversation with her.

He sipped the amber liquid in his glass. He was too far away to hear exactly what they were saying, but Sam could tell that Oliver knew the situation between them. Which explained why Oliver was acting so weird around him.

Sam shook his head, polishing off the glass. As he was about to stand and probably head home, he saw Oliver hand Andy something, who had to reposition the many beer bottles in her hand to take it.

It glinted in the low lighting of the bar. A key? Why was Oliver handing Andy a key? What was it for?

Sam's head was fuzzy and all he wanted to do at this point was to go home and head to bed. Ideally, he would have liked to fall asleep with Andy in his arms, but he had a feeling it was going to be a while before that happened again.

Sighing, he made his way towards the back exit of the Penny, ready to call a cab. He could always find out what was going on tomorrow.

* * *

 **I'm glad you guys are enjoyed the first chapter. I hope this one did not disappoint! Thank you for all the reviews/favorites/follows :)**


	3. Revelations

The sun sat low in the sky, causing the many hues of pinks and orange to bleed together in a picturesque way.

Andy sat on the shore, watching the sunset over the calm lake. She wore shorts and a lightweight zip up sweatshirt over her sports bra; it was warm but getting cooler as the sun went down. The soft breeze blew her hair out behind her and she hugged her knees to her chest, giving a contented sigh.

The cabin was like a private wonderland. An hour and half drive - at least - away from the city, it sat in a secluded part of the woods. The neighboring cabins were close, but not too close. The lake was rather large; the water filled with a myriad of tiny fish. It was quiet, save for the sounds that nature provided. There wasn't another soul around for miles. It was absolutely beautiful and the most perfect place to clear her head and assess her situation. Not enough coffee and donuts would make up for this gift that Oliver had given her.

The past three days had been filled with a bunch of leisure activities to try and get herself to relax. This included hiking, drinking, and kayaking, to name a few. She had found the kayak the first day she had arrived, when she was exploring the cabin and its surroundings. It had been nestled near a little shed, close to the back of the cabin. She was sure that Oliver wouldn't mind her taking it for a spin.

On the second day of her stay, she had ridden the kayak to the middle of the lake and stayed there. She had stayed there for hours, simply sitting and thinking. There was a calm like no other in the middle of the lake and she would have stayed there longer if not for the fact that she had forgotten to put on sunscreen and was beginning to burn.

There was already so much that Andy had thought about during her stay, which was the whole reason for coming here in the first place.

First and foremost, she was extremely and undeniably pissed off. The anger she was experiencing over Marlo being pregnant with Sam's baby was like no other anger she had ever experienced. She knew, logically, that she couldn't really blame either of them. She and Sam had been broken up at the time, so it wasn't like he was cheating on her. Though she could acknowledge that, it didn't stop her from being any less furious. Her boyfriend, the man she loved more than anyone, was having a baby with another woman. Perhaps part of what was contributing to her anger was that she was jealous of the fact that Marlo was giving Sam something she hadn't yet and maybe never would.

That anger slowly turned to fear. Sam, whether he wanted to or not, was going to have a family with Marlo. What if that was so enticing to him that he decided he didn't want to be with Andy anymore and that he wanted to try and make it work with the mother of his child? She also knew that Sam was a very good and noble man. What if he felt he had the obligation to try and make it work for the child? What if she and Sam decided they had different ideals when it came to their future and having a family and decided to go their separate ways?

What if they decided to stay together? How would it even work? Would Marlo be okay with Andy being in her baby's life? Could Andy look at that child and not feel resentment? It was a lot to come to terms with.

All of these 'what ifs' were causing Andy to panic. There were so many ways that this could play out and it was impossible to tell which way it would. She hated feeling unsure of herself; she was always the one with the plan. Sure, she could do some pretty impulsive things that ended her up in some bad situations, but it felt like nothing compared to this.

The more that Andy was alone with her thoughts, the more she thought she was slowly coming to grips with the situation.

She still hadn't spoken to Sam, but she knew without a doubt that he wouldn't shirk his responsibilities as a father. And she would never ask him to do that. The fact that he wouldn't leave his child without a father made him a really great man and if he didn't want to be in this child's life, then he wouldn't be the man that she knew and loved.

She thought about the fact that Sam was probably really scared as well. She didn't think he had ever really thought about being a father, and if he had, he probably wasn't confident that he would be a good one. Andy knew otherwise; though she wished she was the one that was giving Sam the opportunity to show off how great a father he could really be.

It had been three days and Andy still didn't know what to do. Three days and she was still found herself at times with tears on her cheeks; unaware of the fact that she was even crying.

Three days of feeling utterly alone.

Andy knew without a doubt that her heart would always belong to Sam. After going back and forth for so long, she knew she could no longer deny the way she felt about him. Going three days without seeing him when she was used to seeing him everyday was hard; especially when doing things that she knew he would love. But how can the same person that you want nothing to do with be the same person that you want to hold you and make everything better?

As Andy was reflecting over her time spent at the cabin thus far, the sun had finally slipped below the horizon, cloaking the world in darkness.

The wind had a chill to it, causing Andy to shiver. She stood up, stretching her arms high above her head and then making her way inside.

After grabbing a blanket from one of the bedrooms upstairs, Andy decided to start a fire in the fireplace, trying to rid herself of the chill that had settled deep in her bones.

Once the fire was going, she settled in on the couch, listening to the sounds outside and the crackling of the fire in front of her. It wasn't long before she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Ollie, buddy. You are killing me. I _saw_ you give Andy a key. And she hasn't been here for three days. Where is she?"

Sam had once again cornered his friend in the locker room once everyone had left, as he had been doing for the past three shifts. Although he was certain that Oliver would never put Andy in harm's way, he didn't like the fact that she had been MIA for three days. He hated not seeing her; he missed her terribly.

"And I told you that she needs some time to work things out on her own," Oliver replied, shutting his locker firmly and staring pointedly at Sam. "This is huge, Sammy. It's going to take some time."

The first day that Sam and Oliver had talked, Sam had confessed everything that he already suspected Oliver knew, but also continued by telling him that he didn't feel like he was ready to be a father and he was scared of what this meant for his relationship with Andy. Although Sam knew that Oliver thought of Andy as somewhat of a daughter, he and Sam had been close for many, many years. Oliver had basically told him that he had gotten himself into this mess; Oliver had previously warned him about basically using Marlo to try and get over Andy while she was gone. Oliver had also told Sam that he was going to be one hell of a dad and that once Andy came to terms with all of this, they could both sit down and talk and figure out where to go from here.

"I know." Dejected, Sam sunk onto the bench, placing his head in his hands. "You're right, about everything. I just...I miss her so much. I have never felt this way about anyone before and I don't want to screw it up."

Oliver plopped down beside Sam. "You know Andy; she is strong and she is resilient. You just have to trust that she is working this out on her own and that she will come to you when she is ready," he said, patting Sam's shoulder reassuringly.

Oliver's thoughts however differed from what he was thinking in his head. He could see how beat up Sam was about all of this. He knew that Sam really wanted to fix things and actually talk about things for a change. He also knew that Andy had probably figured out all she could on her own by now, alone at the cabin and that if Sam was to show up, they might have better luck figuring things out far away from the city and all of the problems it contained. Still, he was reluctant about revealing Andy's location…

Sam looked at him with pleading eyes, not knowing what to do anymore. It was then that Oliver made a snap decision.

Sighing in defeat, he mumbled, "She's at my cabin."

Sam's head shot up. "Your cabin?" He wracked his brain for any recollection of Oliver ever having a cabin. The memory, though fuzzy, started to come back to him. Though he had never been, Sam remembered Oliver bragging about it to his friends back when Sam was a rookie. "You still have that thing?" Sam asked, eyebrows knitting together.

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Yes, but I don't see how that is the important thing. I just told you where your girlfriend was. Sammy, don't be an idiot and go get her. I'll text you the address," he said, for the second time in four days.

This catapulted Sam into action. He started gathering his things, a whirlwind of movement.

He had almost made it to the door, when he turned around. "Ollie, thank you so much." He struggled with what else to say, how to properly express his gratitude to his friend.

Seeing this, Oliver shrugged and said, "It's nothing." Sam had turned to go out the door again when Oliver called out to him to stop. Sam looked at him questioningly. "If you hurt her again, I'm going to have to kill you, you know."

"I won't," Sam vowed, solemnly.

He shifted his bag on his shoulder and nodded in Oliver's direction before making his way out the door and to his truck.

* * *

Oliver watched Sam disappear behind the locker room door and finally let out the breath he had been holding.

Telling Sam where Andy was wasn't an easy decision. He didn't want to cause Andy any stress, but he knew that eventually she would have to confront him and it might be easier to do so without Marlo and the stress that surrounded the people of 15 Division.

There was no turning back now. Oliver would just have to accept whatever came at this point. He just hoped they both ended up happy.

Oliver picked up his bag and began to head home to his own family.

* * *

No sooner than Sam walked through his front door, he was packing a bag. He threw things haphazardly in a duffle bag, his only thoughts about seeing Andy.

He sat on the edge of his bed, awaiting Oliver's text with the address. As he sat there, he realized that once he saw Andy, it probably wouldn't be all sunshine and rainbows. Yes, they missed each other (or at least he missed her), but there was still a lot of arguing to be had.

It was not an easy decision, but Sam finally decided that it would be best to wait until the following morning to depart. He would need a clear head when he went to talk to Andy to be sure he didn't screw up royally and lose her for good this time.

So, when Oliver's text came in, he simply placed his phone on his nightstand and got changed for bed, rehearsing in his head what he might possibly say to Andy to begin to repair their relationship.


	4. One Day At A Time

**I'm so sorry this took so long. Between a wedding, a funeral, and starting my new job, things have been pretty hectic to say the least! But I am back now, and I promise to update as quickly as I can. Enjoy this next update! It is kind of a longer one. I hope it was everything you were waiting for ;)**

* * *

Andy's eyes flew open at the sound of tires crunching over the path to the cabin.

She had stayed on the couch, awakening only once to put out the fire, lest it burn the entire cabin down. She hadn't cried last night and it had actually been one of the best sleeps she had ever had; the only other time she slept that well was in Sam's arms.

But now, Andy shed the remains of sleep as she leapt from the couch. She was in the middle of nowhere and no one was around for miles. Who could possibly be here?

At first, she thought it might be Oliver, but she knew that he was working today and would more than likely text her before showing up unexpectedly, even though it was his cabin.

Her cop instincts kicked in and she immediately started looking for a weapon to defend herself with. Spying the poker that she had used last night to stir the fire, she snatched it up. She heard footsteps coming closer and ducked behind the front door, holding her makeshift weapon aloft.

Footsteps pounded heavily on the stairs and then the wraparound porch. The door handle rattled and Andy cursed herself for forgetting to lock the door last night in her tired state. The intruder pushed the door open, almost cautiously.

She took a moment to steady herself and then leapt out, brandishing the poker in front of her, catching the intruder completely off guard. They held up their hands up in surrender, something falling to the floor with a thud.

A familiar voice exclaimed in shock and it caused Andy to drop the poker, sending it clattering to the floor, alongside the duffel bag that now lay there.

"Sam?! What the hell are you doing here?!" Andy shrieked, clutching her chest and attempting to catch her breath as she came off her adrenaline high.

Sam allowed his body to relax now that sharp objects weren't being thrust into his face. An amused expression crossed his face as he dropped his hands. "A fire poker? Really? You were going to stab me to death?" he smirked.

"Oh shut up," she snapped. Granted, she was still upset that Sam was here but at the same time she was relieved that it wasn't some serial killer out to murder her. She crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. "More importantly, what are you _doing_ here?"

Sam kicked the bag and the fire poker out from in front of him enough so he could close the door behind him. He spread his hands wide. "What, you thought you were the only one who knew about Ollie's secret cabin?"

He was teasing her, she knew. She knew that he was trying to keep the mood light. He avoided fighting like the plague. But this was just too big. It needed to be talked about but neither of them knew what to say.

When Sam saw that humor was not helping the situation at hand, he dropped his hands and lowered his eyes. "Oliver didn't give away where you were for a while; that's why it took me so long to get here."

Andy's mouth was pressed into a thin line and she simply said, "I see." She didn't blame Oliver for telling Sam where she was. She wasn't stupid; she knew she couldn't hide out here forever. Plus, it was about time that they start discussing things. Even if they ended their relationship, at least she wouldn't be stuck in this interim of not knowing.

Sam was honestly surprised that Andy had yet to kick him out of the cabin.

They stared at each other in a stoic silence for a moment or two. Then, all of a sudden, Sam saw a tired look cross Andy's face. She let her crossed arms fall to her side and her shoulders slumped as she plopped on the couch. She wrapped the blanket she had fallen asleep with on the couch last night around her shoulders, making her feel a tiny bit better.

Sam took a few tentative steps forward and then, when Andy didn't move, he sat on the couch beside her. Not touching her and not too close as to scare her away when they were at least making some progress. But close enough that he hoped he was offering her some comfort.

"Look, if you want me to go home, just say the word. I'm not trying to make this more difficult for you. I was just really hoping we could talk," he said, gently.

It was amazing how far Sam had come over the years, Andy thought to herself. Wanting to talk about their problems as opposed to avoiding talking until it blew up in their faces. This is what helped Andy realized that Sam was serious about their relationship; much more so than it appeared in the past. She knew that she should listen to what he had to say. She needed to give him a shot to plead his case as well as get her own feelings out there. She was just so scared that it was going to end in flames, which she really didn't want to happen if she was being honest with herself.

Defeated, Andy turned her head and looked Sam in the eyes. "Alright, let's talk."

Sam tried to keep the look of relief and delight from crossing his features, but he was sure that Andy picked up on it anyway. It wasn't much, but the fact that she was agreeing to talk at this point was a huge breakthrough in Sam's eyes.

"Alright," he said, standing. He went to retrieve his duffle bag that lay, discarded, by the door. "I'll just go bring this upstairs." At her nod, he made his way towards the stairs.

He paused, with one foot on the first stair, an idea coming to mind. "McNally, have you eaten yet?" he called, peering around the corner to see her.

"No, I was sleeping until you rudely broke in and woke me," she stated, matter-of-factly.

Sam angled his face so that she wouldn't see the smile that crept across his features. "I did not _break in_. The door was completely unlocked," he reminded her. Shaking his head, he continued, "Why don't I whip us up something for an early lunch and then we can talk?" He held his breath, anticipating her answer.

Before Andy could snap that no, she didn't want to pretend that everything was fine and talk about Marlo being pregnant over lunch like some much simpler problem, when her stomach betrayed her. It growled loudly in protest and she looked to see if Sam had heard. It was more than clear by his raised eyebrows that he had indeed heard her traitorous stomach.

"Lunch would be great," she mumbled, rubbing her stomach and rewarding Sam with a small smile that made his heart jump in his chest.

He began climbing the stairs. "Be prepared for the best lunch of your life!" he called down, his voice echoing in the stairwell.

Andy collapsed on her back, sprawled out on the couch, the blanket still wrapped around her. She threw an arm over her eyes, blocking out all the light. It was like this, with her eyes closed and Sam's cheerful voice echoing around her, in a secluded cabin that barely anyone knew about, that she could almost believe that nothing between her and Sam had changed. She could pretend that they were simply here for a romantic getaway as opposed to a talk that might end their relationship for good.

* * *

Between the food that both he and Andy bought to bring to the cabin, Sam managed to scrounge up some steak and cheese sandwiches and a nice pasta salad.

"Maybe not the best lunch of your life, but I would say it is pretty damn good," Sam said, placing two plates on the wooden table, just outside the bit of sand that surrounded the lake.

While Sam had been puttering around the kitchen, Andy had taken the time to shower and change into real clothes for the day. Her hair was pulled back into a neat French braid and her sky blue tank top and dark jeans showed off the nice tan she had received from being out on the lake for the past couple of days.

"And oh so modest," Andy teased. She kept trying to keep the atmosphere light for as long as possible. "I was promised the best lunch of a lifetime, so you better not disappoint," she began.

She took a bite of the sandwich and moaned in pleasure. The growling in her stomach slowly abated as she brought a forkful of pasta salad to her mouth.

"I don't know why I am always so surprised that you can actually cook," Andy said, talking around another bite of sandwich that was in her mouth.

"Probably because you can't even cook toast without the fire department on standby," Sam retorted, taking his own seat and digging in. Andy knew that he was (mostly) correct and so didn't bother with a snarky reply.

They both reached into the bag of potato chips that was open on the table and their hands brushed together. Andy yanked her hand back as if it were on fire, blushing furiously. She busied herself with her food to avoid the hurt look that crossed Sam's face.

Andy couldn't remember the last time she had felt so out of place around Sam. Even from the first moment they met they had chemistry between them and acted differently than normal friends would. Now, they were in a relationship and given their current problem, she wasn't sure what the proper way to act was.

Sam swallowed the mouthful of chips he had and said, "Okay, let's do this."

Simultaneously, they pushed their near-empty plates towards the center of the table and leaned back, assessing each other.

Andy finally felt ready to get everything off her chest, so she began talking first. Once she started, she just couldn't stop. "Sam, I have been doing a lot of thinking these past few days. Despite the fact that I know you didn't cheat on me with Marlo, it still hurts to think about you sleeping with someone else when we weren't together. That being said, I'm even more pissed off that Marlo is having your baby. She is the one who is going to give you your first child. I wanted that to be something special between us in the future."

Tears started to fall silently down her face. She continued, not seeming to notice them. "What if you decide that you really want a family right now? You already are going to have one with Marlo. What use do you have of me anymore? She can give you everything. And you can't leave your kid without a father! This whole thing is just a mess." She covered her face with her hands, not sure what else to say and almost too embarrassed to look at Sam anymore.

She felt his presence; given away by the breeze that accompanied his movement and the sag of the bench as he sat down beside her. She was so conflicted; Sam was the one person who made her feel whole, but at the same time, he was the one who was breaking her heart. He wrapped one arm around her, pulling her close and gently prying her hands away from her face.

She looked up at him with her deep chocolate eyes, so filled with hurt and confusion. It melted his heart.

He placed one of his hands on the side of her face, the pad of his thumb making light strokes across her cheek. He felt her lean into him, waiting for him to say something – anything - to make this all go away.

Unfortunately, there was no way to go back and time and fix all of this. However, he could do some things to try and assuage her fears.

"Andy McNally, we have been through hell and back. We have been off and on so many times it makes me dizzy. But there is no doubt in my mind - now or ever - that we are meant to be together. And I will do anything to prove that to you, if I haven't already."

Andy tried to look down, but he made sure that she continued looking him in the eye. "I am so sorry," he said in a voice barely above a whisper. "I know that even though we weren't together at the time that it doesn't hurt any less. You know that when I was with Marlo, I couldn't think of anyone but you. I always have only wanted you. When I was with Marlo, I was convinced that you and I were done for good. I should have known better."

Andy's eyes had begun to harden at the mention of him being with Marlo, but Sam could tell she was still listening. "All it took was one night of lapsed judgment. She never said anything to me. I myself, still can't believe she is pregnant…" He trailed off for a moment as fear gripped his chest. "Andy, I don't know how to be a father. But I have to be there for Marlo because that is my kid. Despite that, I do not nor will I ever want to be with Marlo or anyone else but you. Maybe one day, we will have a family, and maybe not. But we don't have to rush into anything just because of what is going on right now."

Andy heard everything Sam was saying and it was very practical. But there was still a lot of things that were nagging her.

"I'm still scared, Sam," she said, finally, placing her own hand over his. "Marlo might not want me in her baby's life at all. What if I can't get over this? You are the love of my life and I know we can make it through a lot, but this… this is really big, Sam. What if we can't make it through this?" Her voice had risen in pitch with her increase in panic.

"It's going to be hard, I'm not going to lie," Sam admitted. "There are so many things that can happen. But we are going to ruin us if we keep thinking in 'what ifs'. I don't blame you if you want to run screaming to the hills."

"That isn't what I want," Andy protested, finally making a decision towards what she wanted. She knew she wanted to be with Sam.

"If you want to be with me, and I want to be with you, then we owe it to ourselves to are both scared and I know you are angry as all out hell, and you have every right to be. But I know that we love each other and we can make it. If at any point you feel like this is too much and you can't handle it, though, I will not stop you from leaving."

Andy stared at him. It seemed a fair enough proposition. Then again, nothing ever seemed as bad when she was with Sam.

"I really hope you are right," she conceded, finally.

Sam nodded, grateful that she was going to try with him. "We will get through this, just you and me. One day at a time."

* * *

Sam and Andy continued talking until the sun began to set. There was a lot of raised voices, arguing, and some tears, but all in all, they handled the situation as best as two adults could.

Sam placed his sweatshirt around Andy's shoulders and they watched the sun sink below the horizon together. Andy had to admit that it was a lot more beautiful when she had someone to share it with.

Eventually, Andy broke the peaceful silence. "Come on, let's go inside," she said, as she slapped a mosquito away from her neck. "I still have some beer left."

They walked hand in hand into the cabin, cleaning up their scraps from lunch as they went. They were back to being comfortable with each other, though they weren't one hundred percent back to normal. In time, perhaps they would be.

As Andy tossed their trash away in the bucket under the sink, Sam popped open two beers from the fridge and handed her one. In the next moment, he deftly reached behind her and switched on the radio that was perched on the kitchen windowsill.

"Smooth," Andy commented wryly as soft, sensual music poured out of the speakers.

Sam took a big gulp of his beer and then placed it on the counter. "Dance with me?" he inquired.

Andy was momentarily taken aback and sipped her beer pensively. Sam didn't usually act like this. But she wasn't really going to question it because she was a sucker for romance. "Of course, sir," she replied, in a terrible British accent, causing Sam to laugh as she arranged herself in his arms.

They swirled around the first floor of the cabin, laughing and clutching at each other. Eventually, they slowed down and Andy placed her head on Sam's chest, sighing deeply. She could hear his heartbeat through his shirt and listened as her heart slowed to match his. They swayed gently back and forth.

"I love you, you know," Sam said, placing a kiss on the top of her head and holding her close.

Andy felt his chest rumble as he spoke. "I know," she giggled, feeling like a teenage girl. "I love you, too."

They finished their beers, sitting on the couch with Sam rubbing Andy's feet and they listened to the music; Andy hummed along.. Once they were finished, Sam stood up to discard the empty bottles and returned to where Andy was sitting.

In a fluid motion, Sam whisked Andy off her feet and carried her up the stairs, pausing only to shut off the radio and the lights they had left on.

Andy wrapped her arms around Sam's neck and allowed herself to be carried into the bedroom that she had been staying in for the duration of her stay.

The moonlight cast an ethereal glow throughout the room. A soft breeze came in through the open window, sending goose bumps up Andy's arms; though she was sure this wasn't from the cold. There was a muted silence that surrounded the room, save for the sounds of crickets and other bugs emitting noises outside.

Sam made his way further into the room, pushing back the gauzy canopy that hung around the bed and placing Andy gently onto the bed. He stood in between her shapely thighs and searched her face for any sign of hesitation. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to," Sam said, in a husky voice.

Andy knew they still had things to work on and issues to work out. But it did not change the fact that she loved this man and she had missed him terribly in the days they had been apart. She hated sleeping alone.

"No, I do," Andy assured him. When he still looked doubtful, she tugged on his shirt so that he got on top of the bed, his legs on either side of her body and his arms above her head, hovering over her and looking into her eyes. "I want you bad, Sam Swarek." The lust was evident in her voice.

Sam gave in to his urges and lowered himself to start kissing her neck. He heard her breath catch and it made him shiver. He loved that he could make her feel this way.

A trail of fire followed anywhere their bodies touched. Sam lifted Andy's shirt and kissed his way down her taut stomach and teased her by going even lower. He felt her body jerk beneath his.

"Let me show you just how much I love you," Sam said, seductively.

* * *

Andy eased herself up from the plush bed, drawing back the canopy. She carefully stepped around all of their discarded clothing, clutching a blanket around her naked body. She made her way to the open window without making a sound, guided by the moonlight.

She couldn't sleep. Even though, Sam was here and although she no longer felt like crying herself to sleep, every time she closed her eyes, she could see Sam doing the exact same things to Marlo as he had just done for her.

She knew there was no point in torturing herself. Sam had slept with more women than just Marlo, granted he wasn't having a baby with them.

Andy sighed and glanced toward the bed, bracing herself with one hand on the frame of the window. Sam was lying almost on his stomach, one hand thrust under the pillow, the other almost dangling off the bed, and a blanket covering his lower half. His face was so serene and beautiful as he lay there sleeping. Looking at him and feeling the love that she had for him began to push the worries away.

She would be okay. One day at a time, she reminded herself. She just had to take it one day at a time.


	5. Crazy Things

_**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I really appreciate the feedback. I hope you like this chapter as well.**_

 _ **Happy readings!**_

* * *

"Ready to go, babe?"

Andy heard Sam slam her car door shut and jog over to where she was standing, looking out solemnly over the lake.

It had been two glorious days where they had been alone together. They got to hike and kayak and everything was a million times better now that Andy had Sam to share it with. Now, with their vacation time up, they had to head back home - back to reality. And if Andy was being honest with herself, she really wasn't ready to go. Everything was going to be so much harder once she couldn't escape to solitude with Sam. She would really have to face these problems head on.

But as she felt Sam snake his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder and placing a kiss on her cheek, she knew that all the hard times would be worth it just to spend her life with this man.

It was nearing sunset again. Still, they did not move.

"You know what I've always wanted to do?" Andy asked, trying to sound innocent. Sam pulled back to look her in the face, hearing the mischievous tone in her voice.

"Do I really want to know?" he chuckled nervously.

Andy stood on her tip-toes and whispered in his ear, "Skinny dipping."

She leaned back and laughed at the blush that crept up his neck. "Come on Swarek," Andy said, tauntingly, taking a few steps backwards and wiggling out of her shorts.

Turns out Sam didn't need much coaxing to get into the water with his hot, naked girlfriend. This was a typical Andy move. She always encouraged him to do crazy things; to get out of his comfort zone. She was perfect.

In minutes, with their clothes scattered along the shore of the lake, they splashed into the lake. Their bodies became intertwined, slipping over each other because of the warm water. They stayed where they could reach the bottom for the most part.

"See, isn't this a blast?" Andy said with a glint in her eye as she ran her hands up and down his body.

Sam was speechless, so instead, he captured Andy's lips with his own.

* * *

Andy saw Sam's high beams flash twice before he made the turn off to head towards his home. Andy stuck her hand out the window and waved as he disappeared.

She looked at the clock on her radio - 11:47. She and Sam had agreed that they should actually get some rest before their big returning shift tomorrow and so decided to stay at their respective residences.

By the time she pulled up in front of her apartment building, it was midnight. She ran a hand through her still damp hair and stifled a yawn as she finally parked on the street in front of her apartment. She lugged the bags that she had packed just a few hours ago and wasted no time in locking the car and entering her apartment.

As she placed her keys on the hook by the door, the key to the cabin glinted in the dim lighting. Andy smiled, thinking of the past week and now confident that everything was going to be okay.

She knew she should unpack, but she was also in desperate need of a shower and she relented, telling herself that she would unpack tomorrow as soon as she got off of her shift.

In the shower, with the water running over her body, she thought of Sam and their escapades in the lake earlier and she couldn't help but smile. She couldn't wait to see him tomorrow and was almost regretting choosing to stay at her place tonight.

After brushing her hair and teeth and slipping on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, Andy climbed into bed. It wasn't long before she fell into a much needed, dreamless sleep.

* * *

By the time Andy arrived at Fifteen Division, she was sweaty and out of breath. She checked her watch and noticed that her running time was a bit more than usual. She would have to step it up.

She hung out in the shade, trying to cool off before entering the station. She used the side of the building to stretch her calves.

It was a good decision to go run to work this morning. She felt less jittery than she had when she had first woken up. She wasn't nervous to be back on the job, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't concerned about what people were going to be thinking and saying. The news about Marlo being pregnant with Sam's baby was bound to have made its way around by now and she really wasn't sure how people were going to react. She didn't want their pity; she was fine. She and Sam had already started to work things out and she didn't need other people putting their nose in their business. Not to mention she was going to have to face Marlo today for sure.

Andy shook her head. She had never been one to care about what other people thought about her and she wasn't about to start now. Besides, there were more important things to worry about at her job, such as keeping the peace and saving lives. She was a cop and she was going to focus on doing her duty. That was all that really mattered.

All of a sudden, a piercing whistle sounded and she immediately swung around, on guard out of instinct.

She needn't have worried. When Andy turned around, she saw all of the former rookies, and her best friends, heading toward her.

With a knowing smile, Traci tossed Andy a water bottle.

"Thanks, Trace," Andy said, grinning back. She took a long, grateful sip.

"Where have you been all my life?" Dov exclaimed dramatically, throwing his arms around Andy. "Gross, you are all sweaty."

Andy rolled her eyes. "I've barely been gone a week."

"Way too long," Chris agreed. "We've missed you."

There was a pause in the conversation and it was then that Andy was sure that her friends had heard all the sordid details of what happened. They were waiting for her to say something.

"Do you...want to talk about it?" Gail asked. The words sounded as awkward as the look on Gail's face. Gail wasn't used to this mushy, caring about her friend feelings she had been having lately and she wasn't sure she liked it.

That was another reason why she loved her friends. They weren't mad that she had kept something this big from them. Instead, they had acknowledged that she needed her space and made sure that she knew she could talk to them whenever she needed to.

Andy suppressed the urge to laugh at the look of displeasure on Gail's face. "I'm fine guys. Honest!" she assured them once she saw the dubious looks on their faces. "Let's go get some work done today."

As they made their way inside, Dov chattering about some videogame to Chris and Gail rolling her eyes, Traci pulled Andy into an awkward, one armed hug.

Andy was so glad to be here at this moment. Doing something she loved with the people she loved.

She was also happy that she didn't have to face whatever was going to happen today alone.

* * *

"Almost done here? There's some Chinese food calling my name!" Andy said cheerfully, hopping up on the only corner of Sam's desk that wasn't covered in papers.

Andy was already in her street clothes, waiting for Sam to finish what he was working on so they could go get some food and head back to her place for the night. She had had a wonderful shift back. She had been paired with Gail and together they had managed to find three people who had warrants out for their arrests. And she had managed to (unintentionally, of course) avoid seeing Marlo all day.

"Mmm… one minute…" Sam mumbled, more to himself than to her. He was focused on the papers he was rifling through.

Andy had a feeling it was going to be a long night. She decided to be a good girlfriend and go get some coffee for the two of them. Maybe she could help Sam with what he was working on and they could get out of here faster.

"I'll be right back," Andy said, hopping off the desk. She didn't expect an answer back and she didn't get one.

The break room was surprisingly empty when Andy got there. She wasn't complaining though - no line for the coffee machine! She headed straight to the back and pressed a few necessary buttons to start brewing a fresh pot.

As she was opening random cabinet doors to locate two clean mugs, she heard someone come into the room.

She turned her head, a smile on her face to greet whoever walked in. When she saw who it was, she froze.

Andy had been thinking about what she would say to Marlo when she actually saw her. Since last night it had been on her mind and now that she was face to face with Marlo, she still had no idea what to say.

Andy fully turned around, two coffee mugs in her hand. Marlo still hadn't said anything and was giving Andy a wary look, as if she wasn't sure how this was going to go and she wasn't sure if she needed to fight or not.

Andy was never good in awkward situations and so she gestured to the mugs and asked, "Coffee?"

Marlo let out an audible breath in relief; she had expected much worse. "Oh. No, thank you. I've been cutting back on caffeine because of the -." Marlo immediately cut herself off. What had she been thinking? _Stupid_. There was no need to add fire to an already potentially volatile situation.

"Because of the baby," Andy said, as unemotionally as she could. She immediately returned to the coffee machine, getting everything ready just to keep her hands busy. She took a deep steadying breath and asked quietly, "How are you doing? With the baby and all."

Marlo cocked her head to the side, as if trying to decide if Andy was really being civil. "We are good," she said, tentatively. Not taking her eyes off Andy, Marlo went to one of the cabinets, looking for a granola bar that she had left in here.

Everything was quiet, save for the coffee maker and the bang of cabinet doors. The tension and awkwardness between the two of them was tangible.

Marlo gave up on her granola bar. With all the cops in this building it would have been a miracle if it was still around. She sighed and placed her hands on the countertop, looking at Andy's back.

"Look Andy, I'm really sorry about all of this. I know this can't have been easy on you," Marlo began.

Andy didn't turn around, but she stopped tearing open sugar packets, which told Marlo she was listening.

"Sam and I… we didn't mean to hurt you. I know you are with him now. I didn't even want to tell Sam about this baby because I didn't want it to cause problems in his life. I'm sorry you got caught in the middle of all of this."

Andy slowly turned around. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, but she was glad that she still felt relatively calm.

"Marlo, obviously I am not happy that you are having a baby with Sam. You two will always be connected in a very big way now and sure, that makes me uncomfortable. But we are all adults here. I know that Sam has slept with more people than me and he didn't cheat on me. Hell, I slept with other people after we broke up, too. So I don't blame either of you. And I can't resent an innocent baby just because of who its parents are. I plan on being in Sam's life forever," Andy vowed, "and I will support him always. He will be a great father."

Andy couldn't believe those words had come out of her mouth so confidently. She hadn't realized that was what she had been feeling until it finally came out. She knew it was the truth.

"We are all in this situation together, whether we like it or not. So we shouldn't make it any harder than it has to be," Andy finished.

Marlo nodded, soaking in everything that Andy had said. "You are taking this exceptionally well," Marlo remarked.

"I didn't at first," Andy admitted. "That's why I took some time off. To really think about things." _And so I didn't rip both of your heads off like I wanted to originally,_ she thought. "And Sam and I talked and I believe that we are going to be fine."

"Glad to hear it," Marlo said, shortly. Andy nodded curtly and turned around to pour the coffee into the mugs she had set out. Just because they were being civil to each other didn't mean they had to be best friends.

"I'm not sure how much I even want Sam in this baby's life," Marlo said, out of the blue. She sat down in one of the neighboring chairs. Andy noticed she sounded very weary. She could only imagine that this situation was taking a lot out of her, too.

"It sounds like you and Sam have a lot to talk about," Andy said, taking a seat in front of Marlo. "But I don't think its right to deprive him of his right to be a father. Or to deprive your kid of a father for that matter." Andy could never learn when to not put her two cents in, but she believed she was intervening on Sam's behalf and she couldn't help but speak her mind always. She continued, softer, "I'm not telling you what to do, I'm just saying...you should really think about it."

"Yeah." Marlo looked down at her hands which were placed atop the table. She hesitated before saying, "I was thinking of asking him to come to the next ultrasound, considering I am going to be around for a while."

It was almost as if she was asking Andy her permission. Even though Andy was sure that was not the case, she said, "I think that's a nice idea."

Marlo looked up suddenly. "Thank you for being so understanding, Andy. I mean it," Marlo said when she noticed Andy trying to brush it off.

Andy went over to retrieve the two mugs of coffee and headed toward the door. This conversation had taken a lot out of her, but she already felt infinitely better. Once her initial talk with Marlo was over, it would only get easier from here. "We do some pretty crazy things for the people we love," Andy said by way of explanation. "See you around Marlo."

"See you…" Marlo replied, as Andy made her way down the hall. She was still surprised at how well the conversation had gone. She thought about everything Andy had said.

Andy had been right. Marlo placed a hand on her slightly protruding stomach. We certainly do some pretty crazy things for the people we love.


	6. Hostage

_Three Months Later_

"So the most recent ultrasound went well?" Andy inquired. She had been getting the carton of milk out of the fridge when she saw it hanging on the fridge. In fact, besides the solitary rare picture of her and Sam that he had surprised her by hanging up there one day, it was the only other thing on the fridge. Sam wasn't much for decorations.

Sam looked up from where he was pouring two bowls of cereal. "Oh yeah," he acknowledged. "According to the doctor, everything is right on track. One month to go."

He slid the bowls across the counter where she poured in the milk and brought them over to the table as Sam returned both the milk and cereal boxes. Andy handed him a spoon and they dug in.

"I don't know how you eat that crap," Sam commented at her bowl full of rainbow colored fruity pebbles.

Andy knew she could be childish at times, but there was nothing wrong with enjoying some sugary cereal that was bad for you. "And you eat Raisin Bran, which is for old people," Andy bantered back. She didn't really believe that though; whenever she ran out of her cereal she ate his.

They fell into a companionable silence as they ate. Sam's thoughts turned to the first ultrasound he accompanied Marlo to. Where he heard and saw his baby for the first time, three months earlier.

* * *

" _Good afternoon, Ms. Cruz. How are you feeling today?" the doctor asked while walking into the room and looking down at her chart. She paused when she noticed Sam standing there. She gave him a warm smile. "And who is this?"_

 _Marlo cleared her throat from where she was perched on the edge of the seat, already in a hospital gown. "This is Sam Swarek. He is the baby's father."_

" _I'm Dr. Grant. It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Swarek," she said, extending her hand, which Sam returned._

 _Sam appreciated the fact that she didn't make a big deal that he hadn't been there since the beginning. Come to think of it, this doctor had probably seen a multitude of patients, all with different back-stories so nothing probably surprised her at this point._

" _Ms. Cruz, why don't you lean back, and we can get started."_

 _Marlo obeyed and shivered when the cold jelly was smeared all over her stomach. Even though she had been through this a couple of times already, she still wasn't used to it._

 _While Dr. Grant ran the transducer over Marlo's jelled stomach, she said, "So, you are a little over 17 weeks, which means you are going to really start showing soon."_

" _Great," Marlo intoned, but she wasn't truly upset. The farther along in the pregnancy she was, the more excited she was getting. Sure, she still had her moments of doubt because she didn't think she had a maternal bone in her body, but she would figure it out. People did it all the time._

" _There is your baby!" Dr. Grant finally said._

 _Up until this point, Sam had been hovering at the edge of everything that was going on. He had never done something like this before and wasn't sure how to react. It didn't help that he wasn't dating Marlo and so he really didn't know what was proper in this situation or not._

 _However, when Dr. Grant gestured for him to come closer once she had located the baby, he was drawn forward. He placed himself near Marlo's head; close enough to offer her comfort, but not too close._

 _Sam was mesmerized by the grainy image on the screen. The doctor kept pointing out certain spots on the screen, but all Sam could hear was the tiny heartbeat. Captivated, he leaned forward, placing a hand on Marlo's shoulder._

 _Marlo looked up in surprise, but Sam's face was focused on the screen. Her face softened at the look in his eyes. She recalled how she had felt the first time she saw the baby as well._

 _They both tuned back in when they realized Dr. Grant was asking them a question._

" _I'm sorry, what was that?"_

" _I said, would you like to find out the gender of your baby today?" Dr. Grant answered, patiently._

 _Sam and Marlo looked at each other. It wasn't something they had previously discussed, but Marlo saw the look in Sam's eyes and she knew that he wanted to know. Though it wouldn't have mattered to her if she waited until the baby was born to find out the gender, she felt like she owed it to Sam somehow._

" _We would like to know," Marlo said, excitement evident in her voice as well. Sam held his breath._

 _After Dr. Grant moved the transducer around a little bit more to get a clearer angle, she announced, "It's a boy!"_

 _..._

 _When Sam caught up with Andy, he told her that he was going to have a son. He had been overflowing with excitement as he talked her through everything that had happened at the appointment up until he drove Marlo home. To be honest, when listening to Sam talk about all of this, she would get excited, too._

 _Andy had smiled to herself. This is why she knew that Sam was meant to be a father. She was glad he was getting this chance, even if it wasn't with her quite yet._

* * *

Sam was wrenched from his thoughts when Andy lightly touched his arm, signaling that it was time to head out.

Wordlessly, Sam grabbed Andy in a hug. He inhaled her wonderful scent and held her body close to his. He really loved this woman. One day, he hoped to start a family with her.

Andy took his hand and together they walked out the door.

After parade, everyone went their separate ways. Today, Andy was paired with Nick, Gail with Dov, and Chris was at the desk. Sam had to travel a couple of towns over with Traci so they could work on a homicide case that has been spreading throughout the district.

* * *

It was just another normal day for 15 Division.

At around 6 pm, Marlo started really feeling like crap.

With only a month to go, she felt like a whale. Her feet were swollen and hurt all the time. Same with her back. At this point, she was ready to get this baby _out._

However, she refused to let her pregnancy get in the way of her work, especially since the doctor had said nothing about bed rest. Granted, she wasn't allowed to do any field work anymore, but she was content with staying in the precinct and working on her cases there. Usually, she was fine.

But today, she was just not feeling okay. She was tired and felt like she needed a nap.

And so, with two hours left in her shift, she asked Oliver to go home early and crashed in her dark apartment.

She awoke a few hours later, hand on her huge belly, and feeling a million times better.

Except for her growling noises her stomach was emitting.

"Alright, baby boy. Let's go see what you want," Marlo groaned, hoisting herself off of the bed and waddling into the kitchen.

After going through the cabinets and the refrigerator, it was clear that nothing in her apartment was going to satisfy her.

What she really wanted was those chocolate cupcakes, the ones with the cream on the inside and the white swirls on top. Thank you, Hostess.

Now that she knew that's what she wanted, she - and the hungry little monster inside her - would not be happy until that's what she got. Thankfully, there was a little gas station within walking distance of her apartment that was sure to have them.

These damn pregnancy cravings were quite possibly the only thing that would get her to leave her warm apartment this late at night after taking a wonderful nap. Marlo ventured back to her room to grab a jacket and hat and then she was out the door.

The air had a real chill in it, signaling that the late November fall weather was soon to give way into winter. She zipped up her jacket and pulled her hat over her ears, her long hair flowing out behind her.

It didn't take long before the harsh lighting from the gas station washed over her. It didn't look too busy; there was only one person who was filling up their truck. Two cars sat parked, their owners presumably inside.

Marlo pulled open the door and she was instantly hit with a wall of warm air. Grateful for the heat, she made her way further inside.

She nodded toward the cashier and turned her attention to perusing the aisles, looking for those delicious cupcakes.

Ah, ha! There they were. Already picturing how sweet these cupcakes were going to taste, Marlo reached a hand out to grab them.

That's when she heard slight scuffling noises coming from the front. Suspicious, she inched her way towards the front, her view obstructed by the shelves.

As she turned the corner, the unmistakable sound of a gunshot rang out. Marlo heard someone scream and watched the cashier's body fall to the ground, out of sight behind the counter. He didn't get back up.

Heart pounding, Marlo tried to take a step backwards, but the man holding the gun yelled, "Nobody move!" His gun was pointed right at her.

 _Oh, shit._

* * *

 _ **Sorry for the shorter chapter; it's just a preview before the real action starts!**_


	7. Sacrifices

Staring down the barrel of a gun isn't any less terrifying if you are a cop. Marlo had been in her fair share of stand-offs throughout her career and it never got any easier. Especially in a case like this, where she was off duty and didn't have her gun.

All she could do was raise her arms up in surrender just like the other unlucky people who had been in the convenience store and follow the gunman's instructions. He waved them all over to a corner, where he barked at them to sit with their hands behind their heads to make sure they weren't going to try anything.

The only other hostages that Marlo sat with were a young couple, no older than twenty. The boy was pale and the girl's sobs were putting Marlo even more on edge. She knew they were scared; hell, Marlo was, too. She needed to get out of here and keep her unborn son safe, if it was the last thing she did.

From her vantage point, Marlo could see the fallen body of the older cashier. He lay very still, blood pooling underneath him, but she thought she could see a slight rise and fall to his chest. She decided not to draw attention to him.

Marlo shifted her focus to the gunman and immediately started profiling, as she had been trained to do. Her police instincts might be the only thing that would be able to save them all now.

The gunman was pacing around in front of the counter, seemingly muttering to himself, the gun waving wildly around in his hand. He wore no mask, so Marlo could clearly see that he was in his late twenties or early thirties. He had close cropped, white-blonde hair and a smattering of dark tattoos on his neck, probably signaling that he had been in and out of jail before. He definitely seemed like he was tripping on something. Either that or he was just mentally unstable, but Marlo guessed the former. Her analysis of the situation was that this man had intended to rob the store, but the cashier had gotten in the way. She wasn't sure why he had decided to stick around, but druggies were unpredictable. Unpredictable did not bode well for her current situation.

While the gunman appeared occupied by his own manic thoughts, Marlo shifted to look at the girl, making sure to keep her hands up behind her head. Her sandy brown hair was escaping her ponytail and falling over her freckled face. Her body shook as she tried to repress her sobs.

"Hey," Marlo whispered. She flicked her eyes back and forth between the girl and then man with the gun, but he was still off in his own world. The girl, however, lifted her red eyes in Marlo's direction. Her sobs quieted slightly.

"It's going to be okay. I'm a cop," Marlo said, and the couple widened their eyes at her. "We are going to get out of here," she assured them.

Alerted by the absence of the girl's sobs, the perp whipped around. "No talking!" he commanded, eyes wild. His gun roamed over the three of them.

"Okay, okay. We won't talk," Marlo agreed, gently. She angled herself away from the girl to show that she was giving him what he wanted. While she appeared calm on the outside, Marlo was panicking on the inside. She was glad that her heavy coat obscured her protruding stomach. She realized she wouldn't be able to take any risks without putting herself, and therefore her baby, in jeopardy. However, if she didn't take any risks, there was no way that any of them were getting out of there.

Satisfied, the gunman went back to pacing. Marlo began wondering how she would be able to get her cell phone out of her pocket and dial 911.

It was then that the cashier began to stir behind the counter. He groaned in pain and opened his eyes, staring in shock at the other three hostages. He heard the hurried footsteps of his shooter on the other side of the counter.

The pain was everywhere and it was excruciating. It was all he could do to fight the blackness that was threatening to consume him once more. These people needed him. Even if he didn't survive, he would do his best to make sure that they did. He had lived a decent life. If it was his time to go, so be it.

An image of his daughter and his granddaughter flashed in his head as he summoned his strength and began to hoist himself up towards the silent alarm button that was hidden beneath the counter.

Marlo saw what the cashier was trying to do and a hope surged through her. She coughed to cover the sound of him moving behind the counter and made sure to keep her eyes averted. The young couple, however, didn't get the same memo. The young man unwittingly let out a small gasp that had the gunman spinning around again.

He saw where the boy's eyes were directed and stomped his way behind the counter, finding the cashier's hand suspended before the button.

An anguished cry escaped the madman's lips and he bashed the cashier's head with the butt of his gun twice.

"No!" Marlo screamed, as she once again saw the body of the cashier fall to floor, limp. Blood puddled beneath his head, mixing with the blood that was already on the floor. His glassy eyes were open, staring at nothing. The girl beside her burst into a fresh round of tears.

Marlo knew, though, that this man had quite possibly saved their lives. She had seen the cashier press the button. The police would be on their way any second.

As if hearing her thoughts, Marlo heard sirens close by.

It was clear the gunman heard them, too. Panicked, his bloodshot eyes saw the flashing police lights approaching. His body was twitching slightly and his movements were harried.

He wasn't going back to jail. He wouldn't let that happen.

If he was going down, he was taking as many people as he could with him.

* * *

Andy was patrolling the dimly lit streets of Toronto. As they neared ten o'clock, all was quiet... except for Nick in the driver's seat. Usually, he wasn't so chatty, but Andy didn't mind at all. She found it refreshing that she didn't have to keep up the entire conversation.

"I still think it is weird that - what did you say her name was again?"

"Juliette."

"Juliette, right. I still think it's weird that she got so freaked out when you said you were a cop," Andy contributed. "I mean, doesn't that set off little alarm bells or something?"

"I don't know. I prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt. Not judge a book by its cover, that whole spiel," Nick shrugged, one hand cast lazily on the steering wheel.

Andy didn't reply, choosing instead to gaze out the window into the dark. She appreciated that she and Nick were able to maintain a healthy friendship after their short relationship. Nick was truly a great guy and she wished him the best.

The police radio between them crackled to life.

" _Officers, we have a 211S at the 7-11. Corner of Gordon and Cabot."_

Andy turned from looking out the window and looked at Nick instead. "A silent robbery alarm? The perp is probably long gone by now."

Nick peered out the window, reading the street sign they passed. "We are close. Let's go check it out." He nodded in the radio's direction, prompting Andy to answer.

"This is 15-12 responding. 5 minutes out."

Nick flipped on the lights and siren and increased his speed. It wasn't long before they pulled into the parking lot of the convenience store, screeching to a halt.

They each hopped out of the car, slamming the doors behind them. Before they could start making their way towards the front of the store, the sound of gunshots and shattering glass had them diving for cover.

Andy looked in horror at Nick before realizing that they were both unharmed. Together, they took cover behind the car. Shaken, she reached for her radio. "Shots fired at Gordon and Cabot. 15-12 requesting backup."

As other members of 15 Division responded over the radio, Nick was peering around the car, trying to get a better read on the situation. Andy saw him freeze. She scooted closer to get a better look.

The convenience store had large glass windows, which were easy to see through. Even if that wasn't the case, the newly shattered glass gave a good view. She saw the perp - white male, blonde hair, early thirties - brandishing a gun. She thought she could see someone lying behind the front counter, unmoving. She also saw three hostages, two of which were huddled together, hands behind their heads. The other hostage looked familiar…

 _Oh, my god._

"Is that…?"

"Marlo," Nick confirmed, a grim look on his face.

Andy fell back behind the car, heart racing. She fumbled for her radio once again.

"Officer in danger. I repeat, Officer Cruz is a hostage. We need backup _now!_ "

* * *

The moment that this guy started shooting at cops was when Marlo knew she had a slim hope of making it out of here alive. This guy had nothing to lose.

She shivered as the cold air rushed through the hole that the gunman had shot through the window. How could she possibly make sure that her baby was safe?

Her only saving grace was the police car that had pulled up on the scene. She was sure that more were to follow. She had to trust that she would get them out safe. All of them.

* * *

Andy hung up her phone and made her way back over to where Nick was. She had made the decision to call Sam. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea, considering he was too far away to be of use, but she felt that it was the right thing to let him know. He would find out quickly enough anyway. He had been in the car on his way back before she had hung up the phone.

Andy was getting fidgety. No one else had arrived on the scene yet and minutes were ticking by. They had to do something.

"We should find a way in," she thought aloud.

Nick looked at her, trying to determine if she was serious. "I think it would be better if we waited for backup." But even he wasn't so sure.

"He already shot at two cops, Nick. He isn't going to stop at anything at this point. We need to get them out safe."

Nick gave Andy a leveled look. He knew that more often than not, she let her emotions get the best of her. But she was a good cop. He knew that she was only trying to do what was best for those hostages inside.

Knowing that backup was minutes away, Nick conceded. "Let's look for a back entrance."

"Cover me."

When the perp's back was turned, Nick and Andy quickly snuck behind the building, guns drawn. As expected, there was a back door, marked with a fading _Employee's Only_ sign.

Andy hung back, standing stock still, her gun raised at the door. Nick crept forward and tested the door handle gently. It was unlocked.

He looked back at her and when she nodded, he silently opened the door and she made her way inside first, leading with her gun. Nick entered close behind her.

They were essentially flying blind. They had no idea where this door would lead them, but it was their only shot at getting these people out alive.

The door led to a dank storage room. Another door to the left advertised a restroom. To the right was the opening that led to the main part of the store. They were hidden from the gunman's view by a couple of shelves. They could see the hostages, facing the shelves, backs up against the sidewall.

Nick raised her hand, silently signaling to Andy that he was going to make his way around to the front, in an attempt to corner this guy.

Andy nodded and crouched near the back, trying to get a good vantage point where she could cover Nick if she needed it. Or if the guy started to get rid of some of his hostages. From where she was, Andy could see more of 15 Division arriving on the scene.

Nick crept his way slowly towards the front of the store. He was surprised that the perp hadn't heard them at all, but he supposed it was hard to hear over all the muttering to himself that he was doing. He couldn't make sense of anything that he was saying.

As he moved, he paused behind each shelf, making sure his attention was diverted before creeping along. Slowly, but surely, he was making it up there.

From where she was crouched, Andy confirmed that the person she had seen lying behind the counter earlier was dead. She was not going to let this bastard take anyone else's life tonight or ever again.

At one point, she had locked eyes with Marlo. Unnecessarily, she put a finger to her lips, making sure that she kept quiet. The terror combined with gratitude in Marlo's eyes squeezed her heart.

Andy saw Nick's reflection on the remnants of the glass windows up front and she knew that he would be able to cover her.

As Andy contemplated their next move, she heard the negotiators begin to try to reason with the gunman. Andy's instincts told her it was much too late for that.

She watched, as the gunman appeared not to hear the cacophony outside. It was as if he was in his own little world. His body was wracked with spasms and he never stopped moving. He was staring at the ground, muttering to himself, even still.

All of a sudden, he froze. It was the first time since arriving on the scene that Andy had seen him become immobile and she had a bad feeling about it.

The gunman slowly raised his head in the direction of the hostages. Andy's whole body tensed. She could see the fear and anger written on Marlo's face. She hunched her shoulders, attempting to keep her baby out of harm's way.

Everything that happened next happened too fast.

The gunman raised his gun, aimed square at Marlo's chest. Marlo closed her eyes; a single tear making it's way down her cheek as she waited for death to take her.

Without so much as a second thought, Andy threw herself in front of Marlo. The sound of two simultaneous gunshots echoed into the night.

* * *

 _ **After all the dust settles, who is going to make it out alive? Hope you enjoyed this update. More on the way soon!**_


	8. Have Faith

Nick stood still; gun held out in front of him and the body of the gunman at his feet.

The initial exhilaration of seeing all of the hostages unharmed was short-lived at the sight of his partner on the ground, lying in a pool of blood.

Andy was sitting up on the ground, gasping in pain and clutching her leg. Blood seeped through her fingers and pain radiated throughout her entire body. Her brain was foggy given all the blood she was losing; she was barely aware of the chaos that was ensuing around her.

"Andy?" She heard Marlo's voice as if she were underwater. She swung her head in that direction.

Marlo was getting to her feet when pain ricocheted throughout her torso. She gripped her arms around her stomach as another contraction hit and she gave a small cry of pain.

Police and EMS began to swarm the building, pouring in from all sides.

Nick was kneeling by Andy's side now. She didn't remember him getting there. "We need a medic over here!" he bellowed.

He then turned back to Andy. "I'm so sorry, Andy. You're going to be okay." He placed one of his hands over her blood-coated one reassuringly and she tried to give him a small smile but she wasn't sure if she was actually moving or not. All the strength seemed to leave her body at once and the only thing that stopped her from falling to the floor was Nick's strong arms.

"Andy, you have to stay with me. Andy? Can you hear me?" Nick kept trying to get Andy to respond, but she had passed out.

"Excuse us, sir," said a pair of EMTs that had appeared beside him. Reluctantly, Nick released his grip on Andy and stood, giving the paramedics space to do their job.

Around him, the cashier and the gunman were being wrapped in body bags and wheeled out of the building. In the flashing red and blue lights, he saw police officers escorting two of the hostages outside as well, shock blankets wrapped tightly around their shoulders. Marlo was leaning heavily against another paramedic as another contraction ripped through her body. They made their way slowly towards the back of a waiting ambulance.

Thoughts swirled in his head. If only he had shot faster, reacted quicker, the gunman wouldn't have been able to get off a shot. He had seen Andy's gun drawn when she threw herself in front of Marlo. There is no way she would have been able to get a clear shot off. Andy had known that he had a good position and she had put her life in his hands. It was his fault.

Nick realized he was coated in Andy's blood. Just when he thought he was going to lose it, he felt grounded by a hand on his shoulder.

Oliver saw the turmoil in Nick's eyes. He could only imagine what he was feeling.

"You did everything you could. You did everything right. You don't need to feel guilty. McNally put herself on the line and that is not your fault. You saved innocent people here today. McNally is going to be fine," Oliver told him. "It is not your fault," he repeated.

Nick was surprised that Oliver had been able to basically read his thoughts. He then realized that Oliver had probably been in his share of situations like these over the years. He trusted him. He knew eventually, he would shake this feeling of guilt. He just needed to know that Andy was going to be okay.

Nick nodded. "We have to get to the hospital," he said, in a thick voice.

"Alright buddy, you'll get there," Oliver said, clapping him on the shoulder and beginning to lead him out the door of the store. "First, give your statement, get things cleared up. Then you can meet us there, okay?"

Oliver pointed him in the right direction and Nick ducked under the police tape, heading towards the officers who would take his statement. Police cars and other emergency vehicles bathed the scene in red and blue flashes.

Before he could get there, a new car pulled up on the scene. Traci and Sam jumped out. Frantic, Sam locked eyes with Nick and came over.

Sam took in Nick's blood stained attire and serious expression and his heart leapt to his throat. He struggled to form words. "What happened? Are they- did they - …?"

Nick may not have particularly liked Sam and everything he had done to Andy in the past, but it was obvious he was worried. He took a deep breath, ignoring the looks of the officers who were waiting for him. "They are all at the hospital. Andy got shot in the leg and Marlo went into labor. That's all I know."

"Thank you," Sam's voice was barely above a whisper. Traci shot him a sympathetic look as she accompanied Sam back to the car.

Nick watched them as they gunned it to the hospital. He finally made his way over to the officers, ready to get this over with and get to the hospital.

* * *

Traci sat in a worn out waiting room chair, watching Sam wear a hole in the floor where he kept pacing back and forth and running a hand through his hair every few minutes.

It had been close to an half hour since the two had burst through the hospital doors, demanding information from the poor nurse who was behind the desk. At first, she had been reluctant to tell them anything, but all it took was a flash of their badges to get what they wanted.

The nurse divulged that Andy was not yet stabilized and that no one would be able to see her until she was. She also said that Marlo was going into labor a month early due to the shock and stress of the hostage situation.

After Sam told the nurse that he was the baby's father and that he would like to see them, the nurse agreed to go talk to the personnel taking care of Marlo to confirm that it was okay to allow Sam in the room. That left Sam waiting, not too patiently, for someone to return to the room that he and Traci were in.

He couldn't get Andy out of his head. How they had just had breakfast together that morning. How he had held her in his arms last night. He knew she was a fighter and he wasn't sure what he would do if she didn't make it. He wanted an update on her status, immediately. He couldn't wait any longer.

As soon as he made a move towards the door, it swung open, revealing a different nurse than the one at the desk. Traci's head whipped up.

"Mr. Swarek?" he inquired.

"Yes?"

"Ms. Cruz has given you permission to come into the delivery room, if you could just follow me." The nurse held open the door expectantly.

Sam hesitated. He didn't want to miss his son being born, but he didn't want to miss anything that might be happening with Andy either.

Traci sensed his indecisiveness and stood up stiffly from the chair. She placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. "You go. I will come get you as soon as I find out anything that is going on. I promise." When Sam still looked unsure, she said, "There is nothing that you can do for her from here. She would want you to go."

"Thanks, Trace," Sam said quietly, squeezing her hand. He took a deep breath and followed the nurse towards the maternity ward.

"It's important that you try and keep her calm," the male nurse was saying as they swiftly made their way to the room. "The baby is coming relatively early and she is visibly upset, which won't help matters at all. Anything you can do to keep her relaxed and calm would be a big help."

Sam ignored the nervous feeling that washed over his body. He had no idea how to handle this situation. But he would do everything he could to help his son and Marlo.

The nurse held open the door to the delivery room and Sam stepped, almost cautiously, inside.

Marlo was laying in the bed on her side, her face scrunched up in pain and her hair flying in all directions. Her face was flushed as she grunted in pain.

When she looked up at Sam, the panic in her face was evident. Once Sam was beside her bed, she said, with her chest heaving, "It's too early, Sam. The baby is coming and it's too early and they can't do anything about it!"

"Hey, hey," Sam said, soothingly. He pulled a chair up beside the bed and sank into it, grabbing onto Marlo's hand. "Look, I can't even imagine what you are going through right now, especially after just being held hostage at a gas station. But you have to trust that these doctors and nurses are going to take care of you and our baby. You are in good hands. Everything is going to be just fine, okay?"

Marlo whimpered and nodded, needing to keep believing that everything was okay. Her heaving breaths started to quiet down and she began thinking rationally again. The pain was immense, but she could get through this. She had to be strong for her baby boy.

Trying to keep her mind off of her current situation, Marlo asked, "How is Andy?"

She saw a shadow cross Sam's face and he quickly looked away. "They wouldn't let me see her. She isn't stable yet. That's all I know."

"Oh, Sam, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. She jumped in front of that bullet to save me." Marlo gripped her stomach and cried out against the pain of another contraction.

"It's no one's fault, except for that bastard with the gun," Sam said, through gritted teeth. "She is going to be okay," Sam said, almost to himself. "She has to be okay."

Marlo could only imagine what Sam was going through right now. She also knew that if Andy didn't pull through this, she would never forgive herself.

* * *

Not long after Sam left, Traci had wandered and found herself in the midst of all the other cops of 15 who had come to support Andy. She had told everyone what little information she had known and then hunkered down to wait until someone returned to give them more news.

Traci sat with Gail, Dov, Chris and Steve, thankful for the fact that she didn't have to wait this out by herself.

She watched as Nick slipped into the room, fellow officers patting him on the back, reassuring him that he had done a good thing today. But Traci could see the bags under his eyes and the slump to his shoulders as he went and took a seat by himself in the corner.

The door opened after what seemed like hours to reveal a doctor in blue scrubs and a pristine coat. Everyone was instantly on his or her feet.

The doctor addressed the whole room when he said, "The bullet nicked the femoral artery. She lost a great deal of blood. She is stable for now, but she has to be taken into surgery so we can repair the damage." He paused. "There is a risk, with all the blood she has lost. I just want you all to be prepared."

No one knew what to say. They all looked at the doctor, as if he would reveal that he was just kidding and Andy was going to be fine.

Nick broke the silence. "Can we see her?"

"Of course. One at a time and it must be kept brief." The doctor left them to decide amongst themselves who would be allowed in the room with Andy.

It only took a moment before Oliver sprung into action. "I'll go get Sam," he declared and broke into a jog towards the maternity ward.

"Nick, you should go," Traci said. She wanted nothing more than to be in the room with her best friend, but she knew that Nick needed to make his peace with what had happened. The grateful look on his face assured her that she was making the right choice.

Traci had no doubt that Andy would pull through this and they would be sitting, downing beers at the Penny in no time. She just had to have faith.

* * *

Sam's heart had been racing from the moment that Oliver had found him in the maternity ward to tell him that he could see Andy before she went into surgery. Marlo hadn't batted an eye and with a promise to return as soon as he could, Sam had followed Oliver to Andy's room.

Now, Sam stood, looking through the glass at Nick at Andy's bedside. He held her hand and placed his forehead on top of their intertwined hands, eyes closed.

Nick must have sensed Sam's presence there because a few short seconds later, he glanced up and, seeing Sam standing outside, said some parting words to Andy and made his way outside. As they passed each other, they gave each other a little nod of acknowledgment.

Sam closed the door to the room softly behind him. He slipped into the seat that Nick had just vacated and took Andy's hand.

She was unconscious with tubes and wires strung all over her body. Her face was pale and the monitors kept a steady rhythm of her vitals as he sat there in the otherwise quiet room. Oxygen hissed, moving in and out of her lungs, provided by another machine.

Though it wasn't the first time - and probably not the last - that Sam had seen Andy in a hospital bed, it was never a sight that he wanted to repeat. His heart clenched in his chest as he looked down at the woman that he loved.

"Hey, baby," Sam said, choking back tears. She looked so broken just laying there. He reached out and brushed the hair off of her forehead. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you today. I'm an idiot. But I promise that I will be here just as soon as you wake up."

He sat without saying anything for a while, just stroking the back of her hand with the pad of his thumb and thinking about all of the wonderful times that he had had with Andy over the years. His mind drifted back to the week spent at the cabin and he held onto that feeling of pure love and devotion that they felt for each other.

"I know you are going to make it through this. You've always been a fighter," Sam said, giving a small chuckle. "From the moment you tackled me to the ground when I was undercover on your first day on the job, I knew that. You just have to fight for a little while longer. Okay, McNally?" Sam sniffled.

A light knock resounded and Sam turned around as the door opened. It was a doctor.

"I'm sorry, but we need to take her into surgery now, before her vitals drop again," he said, in a low voice.

Sam looked up at the doctor with red eyes and gave a nod of understanding. He forced himself to his feet and leaned down, placing a kiss on Andy's forehead. He placed a palm on her cheek and tried to lend her all of his strength before he stepped away, allowing the doctor and nurse access to Andy.

He watched as they wheeled her away to surgery, feeling as if his heart was breaking into a million pieces.

* * *

It had been hours.

Sam was in Marlo's room once more, as he had been since leaving Andy. No one had come to tell him that Andy was out of surgery yet, but he hoped it was going well.

He spent his time in Marlo's room, lending her his fingers when she needed to squeeze something from the pain and fetching her anything that she needed, all the while with Andy on his brain.

Nurses kept flitting in and out of the room, checking how Marlo was doing and how far she was dilated and it wasn't long before the doctor finally came in and told her that she was ready to push.

...

"1...2...3!" The doctor counted down, yet again, from his position between Marlo's legs.

Marlo grunted with the effort it was taking and when she couldn't take it anymore, she let her breath out in a huff and leaned her sweaty head back down on the pillow.

"You're doing great, Marlo," Sam encouraged her from his position by her side. He could tell that Marlo was exhausted, but he watched as the doctor fell silent and gestured to one of the nurses that was beside him. Sam had a feeling that things were about to go a lot harder.

"The umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's neck," the doctor finally said.

"Sam?" Marlo gasped, her voice rising as she began to panic. "Doctor, please tell me he is going to be okay!" she asked as she struggled to sit up, groaning in pain.

"Ms. Cruz, I need you to relax. We are going to do everything we can to deliver your baby safely. Right now, I just need you to push as hard as you can. Ready? 1...2...3!"

Marlo focused all her effort into releasing her baby into the world. She felt a sudden emptiness in her body and she allowed herself to relax. Yet, she heard no crying.

Sam was looking with an ashen face at the tiny baby the doctor and nurses were working on. He heard the machine that was monitoring the baby's heartbeat start to slow down. Everything was chaotic as they tried to disentangle the cord from around the baby's neck. There was no time for Sam to even cut the umbilical cord.

There was nothing Sam and Marlo could do besides hold each other's hands and hope that their son was going to make it.

As seconds continued to pass with the only sound the harried instructions from the doctor, Sam closed his eyes. Everyone had been through so much today. Their baby had to make it.

Just when Sam was about to give up hope, a weak cry emitted from the far corner of the room. Sam's eyes snapped open and he was looking into Marlo's dark eyes as a tear fell and a smile crossed her face. The cries quickly picked up in volume and flooded the room.

"Congratulations, it's a boy!" The doctor smiled as he placed the baby in Marlo's waiting arms.

At first, Marlo tensed up. She could not remember ever holding a baby in her life. She was surprised when her arms relaxed naturally around the bundle of joy in her arms.

She looked down at her son, thankful that she had been able to protect him and she vowed that she would always keep him safe.

* * *

"Lucas Alexander," Sam said, looking down at his newborn son, clad in the white, scratchy hospital issued blanket.

Sam was sitting in a chair in the corner of the delivery room, holding his son while Marlo got some much-needed sleep. The chaos in the room had melted into a still calm; gone were the doctors and nurses and noise. All that remained was the early morning sun creeping in through the blinds - the start of a new day.

As Sam gazed down at his little boy, his heart swelled with love. To think that he had a part in creating this tiny human being was phenomenal. The love he already felt for Lucas could not compare.

Lucas had been born at a whopping 3 pounds, 2 ounces. He was so tiny that he could almost fit in the palm of Sam's hand. The doctor had assured both him and Marlo that Lucas was perfectly healthy despite the fact that he was born a month early. They would consistently monitor him to make sure he was developing normally, but there shouldn't be any further complications for the foreseeable future. They were lucky. Sam didn't know much about preemies, but lung problems was a big one.

Sure, Sam had his doubts. Did he know how to be a father? Absolutely not. But he knew without a doubt that he would be a better father to his son than his father was to him. He would learn from his father's mistakes and provide the best life for Lucas, even if he died trying. There would not be a day that went by that Lucas would not feel loved.

Sam bent his head down to place a kiss on his sleeping son's forehead just as a light knock sounded from the door. Marlo stirred.

He and Marlo looked up to find Oliver entering the room.

"Oh Sammy," Oliver breathed when he finally saw the baby nestled in the blanket in Sam's arms. "He's perfect."

"Lucas, say hi to your Uncle Ollie," Sam chuckled as Oliver went to go give his congratulations to Marlo.

Oliver cleared his throat and turned back around to face Sam. "I just came to tell you that Andy has been out of surgery for a while." At the look of anger that Sam directed towards him, Oliver put up his hands in defense. "Let me finish! She has been out of surgery, but she wasn't awake; they had her on some pretty heavy sedatives. I figured you had your hands full over here so I waited until now to come and get you. The doc said that Andy should be waking up any minute now."

Sam jumped to his feet, being careful not to jostle Lucas.

"Marlo, do you mind…?" Sam practically begged.

"Go!" Marlo urged. She wasn't going to be the one to stop Sam from seeing his girlfriend who just came out of surgery after saving Marlo and her son's life. Marlo reached her arms out to take Lucas from Sam, her arms aching to hold him again.

Sam rushed out the door after Oliver, ready to see with his own eyes that Andy was going to be okay.

* * *

 _ **I apologize profusely for how long that this chapter took to get up. I hope you didn't hate it too much! I promise that the next chapter will be up a lot sooner. Let me know what you think!**_


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